Who is it for? Treatment might be needed by the whole family, so find out the ages of any children.
What are the symptoms? Find out if nits or lice have been found; treatments should only be used by people with live head lice.
How long have symptoms been present? Customers can easily be re-infected, so establish the source of the head lice.
Action already taken? Find out if the customer has already tried a product that didn’t help. This will establish if there is resistance, incorrect application or they have simply been re-infected.
Medication? It is important to refer customers who are taking any other medicines or who have an established medical condition.
You don’t have to ask these questions in order, and a customer might give you some of this information without you asking. As long as you get them into the conversation, you should be able to find out the information you need in order to make a recommendation.
The golden rule to remember is: if in doubt, refer to the pharmacist. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for their advice as they have a lot of information about products and symptoms to hand that you may not be aware of.
• Examine children’s hair regularly – use a detector comb as part of a weekly routine at home
• Check clothes and bedding regularly for black specks, which are likely to be head lice droppings
• Inform all close contacts if lice are found.
There are many myths about head lice and how they are transmitted. Here are some facts to help set your customers straight:
For further information about head lice, see:
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